For three years the American-Iranian photographer Melissa Hostetler has toured with the Berlin band Bonaparte around the world. On her pictures she not only shows the wild performances of the hedonistic Emperor and his court, she also looks behind the scenes. Check out more information about her photobook 3 Years in the Heart of Bonaparte and a preview after the jump.

As a photographer, Melissa Hostetler is not a neutral observer. She is always a part of it. It seems as if the pictures have been taken from the eye of an hurricane. They show all the madness of Bonaparte: the euphoria, the hedonistic freedom and the joy of living.

On the photographs you will find everything that Bonaparte is known for – the wild combination of circus, vaudeville and burlesque, the masks, the artificial theatre blood, the konfetti and strange uniforms.

At first, it might seems strange that the photographer has decided to do all pictures in black and white, because a Bonaparte show is always a colourful party. But maybe this reduction makes you feel the untamed energy even more.

Anyhow, it feels awkward to “read” this photobook at home in silence on your couch, because there is such much energy in it… By the way: The next Bonaparte concert in Berlin is on 20 December 2012 at Astra Kulturhaus.

Melissa Hostetler Three Years in the Heart of Bonaparte
288 pages
35 EUR